black activism
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LeBron James, Naomi Osaka Named Associated Press Male and Female Athletes of the Year
During a year that’s presented an endless succession of unprecedented challenges, LeBron James and Naomi Osaka dug deep and still managed to dominate both on and off the court, and for their accomplishments in both sports and social activism, the Associated Press has named them the Male and Female Athletes of the Year. From NBC News:…
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NFL Receiver Kenny Stills Calls Out Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross for Being a Trump-Loving Hypocrite
If Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross decides to follow through on his plans to host an elaborate reelection fundraiser for his lord and master Donald Trump, he might want to confer with some of the players on his team beforehand. On Wednesday morning, Dolphins receiver Kenny Stills gave his boss the finger when he shared…
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Tennis Great Arthur Ashe Honored With Street Naming Ceremony in Virginia
In 1968, a year fraught with violent civil rights protests and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., tennis legend Arthur Ashe became the first black male athlete to win the U.S. Open. But beyond his groundbreaking accomplishments on the tennis court, Ashe’s tireless activism off of it is equally commendable. And to celebrate his…
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A Word: How We Fight White Supremacy Reminds Us That ‘We’ Have the Power
What does it mean to fight white supremacy today? After centuries of trying, those of us actively committed to doing so know that grand gestures are well outnumbered by daily acts expressed in myriad ways with varying levels of visibility. This is the message of How We Fight White Supremacy, a new African American anthology…
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Young Futurists 2018: These Are the Leaders This Country So Desperately Needs
If history has taught us anything, it’s that young people will always lead the way. Whether it’s the young African-American activists marching in the streets to insist that black lives do matter or the students who hit the streets on #NationalWalkoutDay to demand changes to gun laws that will keep their schools safe, it’s clear…
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Notes From the Field: Through Some of America’s Biggest Racial Dramas, Anna Deavere Smith Has Been Taking Notes
For over 25 years, Anna Deavere Smith has been observing us. Since the early ’90s, the Shakespearean-trained actress and playwright, best known for roles in The West Wing, Nurse Jackie and, most recently, Black-ish, has borne witness to some of the most painful moments in contemporary America’s racialized history. In the process, she has interviewed…
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Missing in Action: Black Designers
Here comes New York Fashion Week, again. Everything is about to change—or so it seems—as designers present fashion shows featuring clothes generally intended to break the rules. But one thing rarely, if ever, seems to change, and that’s the absence of black designers occupying top spots in the fashion industry. Freelance designer and journalist Kibwe…
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The Biggest Winners of 2017
With everything—and everyone—we lost in this past year, there were some big wins. Black women showed up and showed out in various ways. Black men put their careers and livelihoods on the line to speak out against racial injustice, police violence, and sexual assault and harassment. Creative artists experienced amazing glow ups, and black teenagers…